Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 13:04:24 -0700 From: "Darren Pilgrim" <dmp@bitfreak.org> To: "'Paul Robinson'" <paul@iconoplex.co.uk>, <chat@freebsd.org> Subject: RE: RSI-basher? Message-ID: <000f01c47f15$3eb18a80$142a15ac@spud> In-Reply-To: <20040810152244.GM12472@iconoplex.co.uk>
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> From: Paul Robinson >=20 > My hands/wrists are starting to give out. I'm spending 10+=20 > hours a day at a > screen having done so now for maybe 15 years, and no matter=20 > how many breaks > I take, the ergonomic setup of my desk, whatever, I'm=20 > starting to feel the onset of RSI creeping in. I was diagnosed with "you almost need surgery." > So, I want to see what keyboards you guys are using. Is the=20 > painful switch to Dvorak worth it? I was never able to get to the same speed level with the Dvorak as I had with the QWERTY layout. The problem stemmed from my not being able to switch the layout on every keyboard I used, so I had divide my time between layouts and often used QWERTY movements on a Dvorak layout and vice versa. It was easier to just modify my reaches to reduce strain than gain proficiency at multiple layouts. If you spend your day at a keyboard you alone use, go for the Dvorak layout. People I've spoken to that have switched say they're faster typists and have less wrist strain as a result. If you're like me, where your typical week can put you in front of dozens of keyboards, none of which are yours, then switching to Dvorak will just slow you down. > Have you found a particularly decent keyboard that is incredibly > comfortable? Not yet. The ideal keyboard is going to be one that lets you keep your hands, wrists, and lower arms in a straight line, with the wrists at neutral pronation. Neutral pronation can be found by holding your arms out, elbow at 90 degrees, upper arms vertical, wrists straight with your fingers relaxed. Fully pronate and supinate your wrists, taking care not to rotate them farther than is comfortable. Neutral pronation is approximately half way between those extremes. > I'm currently seriously considering: >=20 > http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=3D1&item=3D5113 > 536463&ssPageName=3DSTRK:MEWA:IT >=20 > but $300 is a lot to blow on a keyboard. Even if it does have=20 > an emacs mode.=20 > Anybody used these and reccomend them, or condemn them? I had problems with the lack of physical feedback on the keys. The resistance and sensation of the key depression and return of a standard keyboard turned out to be pretty important in getting the timing right for blazing-fast typing speeds. I also had concerns about durability. The surface reminded me of that used on touchpad mice. I tend to wear touchpads out pretty quickly and I didn't like the thought of having to fork over a few hundred bucks for a new keyboard each year. DES is 100% right about RSI being a product of a lot more than just your keyboard. Some recommendations that have worked well for me: - Get a mouse or a trackball that will cradle your whole hand and use a gel wrist pad. I have Logitech MX700 and MX500 mice with extra-thick gel wristpads. - Push your keyboard and mouse back onto your desk so you can rest your arms on the table. Mine are back from the edge almost the entire length of my forearm.=20 - Forget about formal touch-typing and aligning your hands or wrists to the keys. Your hands, wrists and lower arms should be in a straight line at an angle to the keyboard. It's your typing reaches and key layout that need to adjust to your hand positions, not the other way around. - Try out different keyboards and I don't mean just at the store. The configuration of your office space is going to change how well a given keyboard works. Expect to go through a half-dozen or more keyboards before you find something you like. - Get a desk with the right height. If you sit at the desk with your feet flat on the floor, knees at a right angle, then the desk height should be between around mid-thigh if you stand next to it. I'm 6'1" (1.85 m) and my desk surface is 28" (71 cm) off the floor. - Get a fully-adjustable, high-back chair with proper lumbar support. Sit close to your desk so you aren't sitting up, but resting fully against the chair. A high-back chair with an adjustable headrest will let you rest your neck as well. - Get an adjust able foot rest so you're not hanging the weight of your lower legs and feet off the edge of the chair. Your legs should be out in front of you to improve circulation. - Check out http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/. For a while I had a Neutral Posture 9800 with an Evolution chair-mount keyboard. Got rid of the keyboard, kept the chair. You just have to tell yourself that it's cheaper than surgery and physiotherapy. :)
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